Fawful's Revenge
by The strange princess
Summary: Two years have passed since the events of Bowser's Inside Story, but our favorite Bean isn't about to give up. This time, he's back for revenge. Rated T for just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya guys! Strange princess here, with yet another Mario fanfic that will hopefully be enjoyable...I know I'm not a great writer, but one tries her best. Besides, its not like I'm perfect anyways. In any case, this story centers on one of my favorite villians in the Marioverse (Other than Dimentio...*chuckles nervously*), Fawful! Yes, I wuvs that little, eccentric, Beanish villian! His speech is highly amusing, not to mention, he's actually very adorable. But don't tell him that, or else...Okay, I think I've drabbled long enough now...So, let's get to the real action!**

Chapter One

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In a dark, dank cave, a strange individual was hunched over a small, crude, table that held many scattered parchments. Growling to their self, the being adjusted their cracked, dirty glasses and leaned closer to the dim glow of a small candle that barely lit up the parchment he was currently reading. He hated having to read in these conditions. The candles always gave out and his glasses were so destroyed and dirty that sometimes, he wasn't able to decipher whatever he was reading, thus making it a challenge to finish skimming through the musty, old documents. Truth be told, if it were up to him, he would read these important parchments under a stable light source, and with crisp, fresh glasses. Alas, his current situation did not allow him to afford such luxuries.

Sighing to himself, the individual tossed the document back on the table and got up from his makeshift chair. Almost instinctively, he went towards his crudely consrtucted bed and curled into a little ball as he remebered the past with both sorrrow and anger. Two years. It had already been two years since he had attempted to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. And he had almost succeded in doing so too. But those fink-rats...Those stupid, mustachioed plumbers had beaten him _again_. All that he had gained, had been rudely snatched away from him when those idiotic heroes had beaten him. Not to mention that the moronic Koopa King Bowser had somewhat allied with those fink-rats and had helped destroy him and the Dark Star. When he thought about what he had done, it had all been for naught.

But he was going to make sure those idiots paid. Although he liked the idea of ruling the world, the little villian actually had a bigger motive for destroying the Mushroom Kingdom: Revenge. Yes, he still wasn't quite over what had happened to his mistress many years ago. The great Cackletta had let him serve as her loyal toady for many years, a position he took with great pride and honor. However, those fink-rats destroyed her and then left her to die a painful death. That had only angered the little toady, who was but a mere child then. Then, a few years later, he decided it was time to avenge his beloved mistress' death. The plan was simple: Summon the Dark Star using Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, use its power to destroy the said kingdom, and rule the world. Furthemore, he would have had many statues and temples dedicated to the witch he had adored almost like a mother. It had seemed like a foolproof plan at the time, and the success he recieved only served to boost his ego and pride.

Unfortunately, a small part of his plan backfired, and it ended costing him his utter defeat. This forced him to feign death and ultimately, exile. And now, here he was, living on scraps and bits, forced to beg and steal just to survive, something a great villian of his status was not supposed to do. Snarling, the individual clenched his fists in anger and opened his mouth in a fit of anger."I have fury! !", he growled. He was not going to take it anymore; something had to be done about his anger and sadness. Quickly adjusting his twisted, broken glasses, the little villian smiled widely and snapped his fingers as the gears in his head began turning."Lord Fawful shall let his enemies be tasting the mustard of doom and revenge like he promised! Then Fawful shall be having the chortles!", he said gleefully.

With his mind made up, the little Beanish villian began looking through his parchments with renewed interest. If he could find something that would help him in his plans to get revenge, everything would be perfect. After all, these papers used to belong to his mistress, the late Cackletta, and they _were_ bound to have some important information on a certain artifact or another that would aid him. If he knew Cackletta well, Fawful was sure she would have noted anything that would have seemed important for their cause. Thinking about his mistress gave the little Bean shivers, and he bowed his head low in respect for the witch. After a few seconds, however, he returned his gaze to the papers and began to read quickly, his mind thinking on one thing._ I shall be doing the avenging of your death, dear Cackletta. Your loyal toady will be seeing it has completion!_

~F~M~F~M~F~M~F~

**Poo...I tried to make the chapter as long as I could, but somehow, it refused to get any longer T^T. And I'm sorry if the first chapter seemed kind of angsty...I promise I didn't do that on purpose. Not to mention, I think I made Fawful's personality a bit OOC. Please bear with me! I'm just a poor teenage girl who can't always get her stories straight. Anyways, this chaper was kinda meant as a little prologue, so that's why it was so...weird 0.o. By the way, for those of you wondering, this story takes place after ****Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story****. In any case, I'll try not to make the next chapter so angsty. Um, you know the drill! R and R, please! Flames are accepted.**

**P.S- I totally forgot to mention Fawful's age here! I know the games never really state how old he is, but for this story, we shall leave him at about his teens: 15 would be a good age...Or maybe 16?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okies! So the last chapter was a bit short. Frankly, I'm used to writing long chapters, but sometimes, the story's gotta flesh itself out. And that is something I have no control over. In any case, I realized I missed a few vital bits of imformation in the last chapter, so bear with me as I cover them. First of all, I forget to say that there will be many references to Cackletta, so expect a bit of ****Superstar Saga**** reminders. Next, I forgot to point out that this story will have many points of view, so try not to get confused as to who is speaking. And finally, I forgot to do the disclaimer, which, frankly, I loathe. So, remember, Fawful, Mario, Prince Peasly, and any other characters I may use belong to Nintendo. There, I'm done. Now, on to the story!**

Chapter Two

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Deep in the heart of the Beanbean Kingdom, within the walls of the Beanbean Castle, a young Beanish girl of about fourteen years of age stared at the blank canvas that was propped up in front of her. Many tubes of paint surrounded her, along with many brushes of the finest quality. Yet, she seemed to not be interested in them as her hand slowly stroked the deep ruby red brooch that she wore on her dress. Her raven-black locks of hair partially hid her weary, crimson eyes from obvious sight, but it was clear this girl was tired and sad. A sudden knocking bought her out from whatever reverie she was in, and she clutched the brooch protectively."W-w-who is it?", she said, her voice sounding unusually soft for a girl her age.

A servant quickly scurried in and bowed once, before adressing her properly."M'Lady, Prince Peasly wishes to see you. He says its an urgent and rather pressing matter.", he stated. The young girl smiled, and curtsied in return."Do tell him to come in. We wouldn't want to keep him waiting now, do we?", she replied. The servant bowed again, and with a "As you wish, M'Lady...", left the room. A few seconds later, the door opened again, and the mentioned prince appeared, his face radiating concern and joy."Hello, dear Pinta.", he said. Pinta smiled and curtsied."Peasly, good to see you. How have you been?", she asked. He chuckled softly."Things have gone quite well for me, Pinta. The kingdom's not in danger, for once. And while that's good, it means I have nothing to save.", he said in mock upset tone. Pinta giggled, a sound that sounded like bells, and she covered her mouth with her hand."Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about the incident with the Goombas...That was funny.", she quipped. The Beanish Prince nodded once, then held out a finger."Oh, that does remind me...I came to give you something...", he said as he rummaged through the bag that he had bought."Um...wait...Oh, here it is!", he said trimphantly before showing it to her.

A crudely stitched doll with black button eyes stared at the young teenage girl, its somewhat crooked mouth smiling strangely. The person who had made this had obviously not done a good job, but you could still tell they had tried their hardest to make it as pretty as possible. As she held it gingerly in her hands, Pinta noticed it strongly resembled a close friend of hers. The blonde hair, the princely outfit, the little sword..."Peasly...Did you make this?", she asked. Peasly blushed slightly, before he nodded."Um, yes. I, uh, really don't like to do stuff like this, you know, being a woman's chore and all...but it was a special occasion, so I decided to do it. And, um, its supposed to be me...it didn't come out so good, as you can tell...", he replied. PInta smiled, then hugged the prince as strongly as she could."Peasly, its beatiful! I can tell you really tried your hardest, and that's more than enough. But, why a special occasion?", she asked. Peasly smiled."Why, its your coming of age present! Surely you know of the custom?", he replied. When she gave him a blank look, her coughed in shock."I guess they didn't explain it to you...See, in the kingdom, when you become of age, your friends and family celebrate by throwing a party and giving you one last child's present. It symbolizes your growing up, and you prize it forever as it will remind you of your childhood days, and let you look forward to when you become a true adult.", he explained.

Still clutching it close to her brooch, Pinta smiled and rubbed the little Peasly doll's hair."Thank you. I will cherish this forever.", she replied. The Beanish prince smiled akwardly, then hugged her tightly."I'm glad you like it. Well, I wish I could stay and chat some more, but Mother is expecting me. I have more prince classes to attend to. I'll come and see you later...Is that okay?", he asked. The Beanish girl nodded."Of course! You know you're welcome anytime.", she replied. Peasly bowed one final time before he left. As soon as the door closed, Pinta flopped on to her plush, warm bed and sighed. She had lied to Peasly about doing well. But she knew better than to worry him with trivalities. He was busy training to someday become the reigning monarch of the Beanbean Kingdom, and she was just a mere girl. Besides, she knew he wouldn't believe her if she mentioned what she'd been feeling as of late.

Recently, she'd been having nightmares, that for some reason, always potrayed the dark figure of woman who was alway beckoning her closer to her. She didn't know why, but she instinctively knew that it had to do with her brooch, though why anyone, illusion or no, would want it was beyond her comprehension. It was a little bauble, a trinket. Nothing more._ But you are wrong, girl. That brooch is more than what it seems..._, a cold, evil...and feminine voice whispered to her. Pinta jumped and clutched her brooch protectively, and she looked around her room."W-W-Who are you?", she stammered. But no one answered her call. With a swallow, the girl sat on her bed before hugging her Peasly doll and sighing deeply. As she closed her eyes, Pinta cradled the doll near her bosom and barely managed to mumble somethingbefore she succumbed and drifted to sleep:"Brother Peasly...".

**^...Okay, so I hope this chapter was not as a bad as it seemed. I did place an OC here. Her name is Pinta (A pun on the word pinto, like pinto beans...Lame, I know...), and she is Peasly's little sister, and therefore, a princess. I really tried to describe her as well as I could, but somehow, I feel like I didn't get her right. I think I may have also butchered Ol' Peasly's personality too, but then again, I seem to be screwing up with every Grambi-forsaken character in this story anyway. Sorry if I did confuse a few of you people out there*bows head in shame*. And sorry if the chapter seemed awfully short...I really did try T^T Well, SP over...for now.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! This time, I really tried to get the true plot up and running, and made an effort to make this chapter as long as possible, to compensate for those other, horrid, small chapters that are so not my style. But then again, it's probably not as good...*tears up* God, I can be such a bad author. Please feel free to give me any suggestions on what I can improve in! Flames are encouraged, because we all know that not everyone is a good storyteller...Well, on to the story.**

Chapter Three

Fawful

As he aimed the parchment closer to his light source, Fawful squinted and growled in disppointment. So far, none of Cackletta's notes had been useful, and the little Bean was starting to get tired of straining his eyes just to meet with another dead end."This is not having the working...Soon, I shall be ending up like a bat that has true blindness!", he grumbled. After reading a few more paragraphs, he gave up, crying out in frustration."Arghhh! I have the giving of up!", he snarled. All his hard efforts were not going anywhere, and that angered him.

Deciding he needed to take another break, Fawful made a beeline to his makeshift bed and plopped on it, wrinkling the thin bedsheets in the process. As he landed, however, he felt something hard and bulky under his pillow."Hm? Whating is this?", he asked himself, deftly reaching under the pillow to retrieve whatever was bothering him. A box, probably one of Cackletta's personal belongings, appeared, its smooth, polished appearance entrancing the young Bean. Haphazardly, he opened it, coughing when a cloud of dust greeted him."Ack!", he wheezed. Then, he squinted, and pulled out its contents. There was a tattered and torn leatherbound journal, which Fawful tossed aside, and there was also a few parchments, mostly plans on how to rule the world, supposing they had succeded. And finally, at the bottom, was a finished doll, that looked very well made despite the quality of the cloths used.

Beside the doll, there was a note, which the young little Beanish boy opened gingerly. He gasped when he recognized the writing: it was Cackletta's. Swallowing, he procceded to read the note. It went:

_To Fawful,_

_ I write this letter, and with great difficulty, to congragulate you on your coming of age. You have been my loyal little toady for many years, and I thank you for it. Now, such greatness has not always been easy to achieve, and surely you know that. But today, I can say I am proud of you, as you were raised to become an even greater villain than me, and you have fullfilled said goal. True, there were times when you misbehaved or messed up in your training. And not a day passed when you acted incompetent and not reached your true potential. But in the end, all my hard work and sacrifice paid off. As you know, you have come of age, and while that means soon you will have to work alone, it also means that your are beggining to get ready to take over the world should __our__ plans fail. With this letter I have enclosed a doll, the customary last child's gift, which I have made. Do not be put off by its appearance; it has more surprises than it seems. Take good care of it, and only use it in times of desperate need. Please cherish it, and remember, Fawful: You, my little toady, are the greatest villain in the world._

_ With love,_

_ Cackletta_

Immediatly, Fawful's mouth dropped, and his heart skipped a beat. His mistress never once told him she loved him, and she rarely showed him affection. But reading her words on the yellowing paper gave him a pang in his heart, as he realized she had actually cared for him. Cackletta had been the closest thing Fawful ever had as a mother, and her death had really driven him mad. How he would have given anything to hear her say those words to him personally! But now, she was gone, and he would never get a chance to return the affection. Holding the doll, he examined it and tried to imagine the witch making it for him. She had made the toy in likeness of Fawful, as she had expertly sown the red cloack he used to wear when she was alive on to the grinning mini-Fawful. Everything was exactly detailed to look like him; even the little tuft of hair was styled the way he did it.

Noticing his eyes were stinging, Fawful wiped them quickly, only to discover tears had begun forming. Abruptly, he shook himself out of his daze, and he growled."This is not being the time for mourning. The great Lord Fawful has many plans of doing and those fink-rats of red and green shall soon taste the mustard of doom on my brilliantly crafted sandwich of evil!", he vowed. Now more than ever, the little Bean saw more of a reason as to why get revenge. Those mustachioed plumbers were definitly going to pay, as well as that pathetic Bean prince and his family, for killing Cakletta, and for ruining their plans of ruling the world. Feeling his old smile return, Fawful clenched the mini-Fawful between a tattered, gloved fist before adjusting his glasses. He had a lot of work to do.

A few hours later found the young Bean straining his eys to read Cackletta's journal. So far, he had read about many spells and potions that had very little use to Fawful, but he knew better than to give up. Finally, as he reached the final line of the page he was reading, a certain phrase caught his eye, and he raised an eyebrow. Carefully turning the page, he continued reading, amazed by what he had found. Though now faint, the words seemed to glow in Fawful's eyes, and he couldn't help but grin as he read the fading letters."_...to summon the Chaos Jewel, one must...the gem, and...power of the secondborn to the Beanish throne, summon the jewel's...and potential. The wielder of this power shall...to rule the world...(Remember for future reference...May come in handy -CK)_". The Beanish villian smiled twistedly. All of his hard work had finally paid off! Now that he had a good plan, all he had to do was storm and capture the Beanbean castle, find the secondborn to the throne, find the Chaos Jewel and summon the said Jewel's power.

However, he stopped smiling once he realized something. For his plan to work effectively, he needed the power of the secondborn to the Beanish throne, and he was obviously lacking that vital ingredient. Resisting the urge to slap himself in the face, Fawful cursed to himself as he pondered for a solution. How was he going to make the plan work?"It has of the seeming that I must observe the inhabitants of the Castle of Beanbean. Maybe the answer is being there?", he mused to himself. Either way, it was time to visit the Beanbean castle and drop by to say hello to his worst enemy, more hated than the Mario Bros. themselves: Prince Peasly.

**Yahoo! Got me another chapter up. Anyways, I can safely say this chapter is definitly longer than the others. It took me quite a while too. Fawfie is going to use Pinta to summon the Chaos Jewel and rule teh world! And for those wondering, I did kinda base it off the Chaos Heart from SPM. Congrats if you were smart enough to catch the reference.*laughs manaically* But of course, dear Fawfie doesn't know that. Yet. Wow, I really like the sound of that! It's decided: I'm using 'Fawfie' from now on! Okay, in other news, I have to point out that I don't know if this is how you spell Prince P's name. I'm going to assume its so, even though it probably isn't. If you has any suggestions, please tells me. Again, hope this pleases all of you somewhat demanding lot. Me shall now be have a grand exiting!*disappears***


	4. Chapter 4

**0Alrighty! I am back, people! Sorry for the small delay (okay, so maybe it was huge*hangs head in shame and embarrasment*)…I had a bit of trouble with my flash drive, which is where I store all my stories, and I couldn't upload anything for a while. I got the, er, **_**problem**_** fixed, and now I can resume writing stories!(That means that I have no more excuses to delay updating.) My memory is still well too, thank Grambi, so I can begin were I left off in the last chapter. Please remember, I DO accept flames (and reviews. Duh. I think this one was a no-brainer .;;), so feel free to insult me or simply give me a compliment. Either way, I won't care, so long as you just leave me **_**something**_**. Now let's begin on the Fawfie-centric madness!**

~~Chapter Four~~

Pinta

Pinta played with her raven-dark hair impatiently as she sat cross-legged on her bed. She was eager for her brother Peasly to arrive like he always did, but today, he seemed to be running a little late. Not that it mattered; Peasly always had prince lessons to attend to, and sometimes said lessons started early in the morning. Grumbling something unlady-like under her tone, the princess continued to play with her hair and kept stealing glances at the door. Hopefully, her chambermaid would come running in any second now, and tell her,"Master Peasly is waiting outside to see you, M'Lady. Shall I tell him to come in?". Or perhaps her brother would come in, much to the chagrin of the chambermaid, and laugh and apologize at her for coming so late. But no chambermaid came and told her exactly what she wanted to hear, nor did her brother com running in as she would have hoped. Still thinking about her brother's tardiness, Pinta did not notice the blonde figure that climbed over the balcony that was opposite and across her bed, and walked into her room silently. It wasn't until she felt a sudden presence that she quickly turned around-and nearly screamed in fright.

There, standing in front of her, was Peasly. The beanish prince must have been startled by her reaction, since his eyes widened, and he slowly backed away, his hands held up in the universal 'don't-hurt-me' gesture."Pinta! I did not mean to startle you!", he said in an apologetic tone. The princess only bit her tongue and gave him a look that showed her displeasure."Peasly, are you out of your mind? You nearly gave me a heart attack!", she snapped, stroking her ruby-red brooch in the process. The blonde prince looked abashed, and he tried to apologize again."I-I-I-I'm sorry...I only wanted to come to your room a different way. I thought climbing over the balcony would be a great idea. I didn't think you would be startled...", he said lamely. Pinta merely sighed."No, it's all right. I should have not snapped at you. I'm sorry...I just thought you were not coming today, so I got tense. I don't know why I thought you would harm me in the first place. Truthfully, there is nothing to fear.", she replied. At this, the blonde prince frowned slightly, his embarrasment gone."...I would not let my guard down if I were you, dear sister. Even though our main threat has been-and will be-gone for quite some time, there are still enemies in the world that would, if given the chance, harm you, me, or even Mother.", he said sternly."But enough. I did not come here to scare and bore you. I wished to see how had slept. I assume you had no nightmares? Or correct me if I am mistaken.", he added, ruffling her hair as he spoke.

Playfully swatting away her brother's hand, Pinta giggled and shook her head, the voluminous cascades of raven hair fluttering as she did."No, I slept very soundly...Well, at least, I _did_, until before the sun rose...I...I, um, had a bit of an odd dream. Not a scary one, just a strange dream.", she said, adding the last part in a hurry when Peasly gave her a concerned look. He stroked her cheek lightly in an act of affection."Do you wish to talk about it? Sometimes, it's better if you talk about things you don't quite understand. But if you do not wish to, then you don't have to.", he coaxed her, giving her a hug that made Pinta shake her head."...No. I don't really think it was important, anyways. Besides, I don't even remember what it was about anymore.", she quipped. Peasly arched an eyebrow in response."Are you sure?", he said, obviously not convinced. Pinta nodded. Truth be told, she did not want to worry her brother about trivial things such as dream and speaking voices. In her opinion, he already had a lot to carry on his plate. Adding worries about trivial dreams was not going to help his situation, she thought. Satisfied by her response, Peasly sighed in relief, then gave her another hug that made Pinta feel fuzzy and warm everywhere. She really loved having an older brother, she thought. He was always there to comfort her, to cheer her up, to annoy her, and even to make her laugh. The beanish princess was convinced there was nothing better than having someone to protect you.

But a voice inside her head seemed to think otherwise. _Ugh. These feelings of happiness...They are useless, not to mention, horrific. There shall be no need for love when I take charge. A horrible emotion like that never does anyone any well. And protection? Girl, there will be no one to protect you from me. That much I can assure you. As the matter of fact...I can tell you that everyone shall need to be protected from __**you**_, the female voice hissed. Feeling a shiver run down her spine, Pinta abruptly broke away from her brother's arms and wrapped her hands around her arms. The Beanish prince frowned, and edging close to the princess, tried to to get her attention."Is something wrong, Pinta?", he asked gently. The Beanish princess forced a smile on her face and shook her head."No, no. I...I just felt a sudden chill. That's all.", she said. Peasly nodded."Well, it is a tad chilly here. That, and your nightgown isn't helping.", he said, gesturing to the chenille-fabric nightgown that covered her small form. With a small grimace gracing her face, Pinta had to admit he was right." I know...Well, I guess we've talked quite a bit now...We should head downstairs for breakfast. I heard Cook was making waffles today.", she said, pointing at the door."But let me get dressed first. I don't think Mother or Lady Lima will approve if I go to the dining hall in nightclothes again. So, if you will...", she added, trailing off at the end to get her message across. Peasly did not need a further explantion; with a final hug and a "I'll see you at breakfast, then.", he left, leaving Pinta all by herself."Now...let's see what I shall wear...", she said thoughtfully as the door finally slammed shut.

Fawful

The little Bean smiled smugly as rays of light passed through the now-clean crude window he had built by using scraps and glass. Deciding to take this to his advantage, Fawful looked through the piles of parchment that filled most of his underground home. After having read the letter about the Chaos Jewel, the villain had begun researching every single tome he possed in order to find out more of the gem's dark properties. So far, he had hit with statements that assured said jewel did not exist, and that the stories about it were mere myths. This had unfazed Fawful, who now more determined, began looking through the few royal books he had filched a long time ago with Cackletta. Of course, nighttime had slowly turned into daytime, and with his only window blocking whatever sunlight came in with filth and rock, the Beanish scientist had decided to take matters into his own hands. The end result now gleamed and glowed brightly as the sun's rays passed through the now-gleaming glass.

Adjusting his broken glasses, Fawful skimmed through the pages, skipping everything that had to do with what he considered boring, royal, family history. It wouldn't really matter anyways. He needed to find out where the Chaos Jewel was being hidden, so he could seize it, then move on the next step of his plan. Unfortunately, the little Bean still had not figured how he would find the secondborn to the Beanish throne, seeing as Prince Peasly was the only heir, as far as he knew. As minutes ticked by, Fawful grew more and more restless, skimming through the pages even more quickly. Finally, he was at the point where he could no longer bear the frustration that was bottled up inside him. Growling lowly, the Beanish villain placed the book he was currently examining aside, and closed his eyes. He was stressing too much, he thought. Maybe a little outing could fix the problem. Fawful suddenly felt relaxed at the thought of leaving the underground cave. That was it; he was going to find out more about the Royal Beanish Family. It was the only excuse he could come up with that would allow him to leave and relax, if momentarily. Standing up and stretching from being in a posture-underminig chair for so long, Fawful cracked his back, then checked the condition of his cloak. He snorted in disgust; the cloak had gotten too small for him to wear properly anymore.

Unbuckling the clip that fastened the cloak together, the Beanish villain took off the garment and threw it aside. Then, he opened his chest of personal belongings (which was meager), and began looking for a suitable replacement. After a minute or two of searching, he finally found a grey cloak with a hood that, while still shabby, at least looked better than the old cloak did. When he tried it on, however, Fawful realized with a bit of disappointment that the garment still fit him a little too big. But he waved it off with a shake of his head. There was no need to worry about such trivialities."Perhaps I shall be doing the mending of the cloak later. But now, things of more pressing weight are being of importance.", he muttered to himself, keeping in mind that his recon mission was the important thing. Making sure to take some of his trusted inventions, which included his beloved ray gun, Fawful checked to make sure nothing was amiss, and when he was reassured everything was in its place, he left.

~~~FAWFULFAWFUL~~~

The Beanish villian shivered and pulled his cloak even tighter as a hust of wind blew towards his direction. He had almost forgotten how different the temperature was above the surface. Pulling his hood tightly as yet another citizen passed by, the villain walked towards the town square, hoping to find the traders he knew always had very useful information. It had been, in fact, one such trader from the Mushroom Kingdom that had told him about the Dark Star in the first place. But today he had no such luck. Almost all of the merchants were not present, and those that were were the ones that always worked faithfully, be there rain or shine; in other words, they were merchants who were always honest. Disappointed, Fawful decided to skip the trade center and keep on walking, in hopes of hearing something useful. Slowly and cautiosly, the little Bean kept walking, until he finally arrived at the gates of the Beanbean Castle. He was so busy trying to eavesdrop, that the villian looked up startled as the golden-wrought gates glowed in the light of the sun's rays-and reflected on to his glasses. A small smile twisted Fawful's lip. He could try to get in and sneak around the castle. That would always help him on his quest for world domination and vengance.

Suddenly decided, the villain pulled out from his cloak's pocket one of his nifty contraptions, a strange device that looked like an ordinary pen, and clicked it. Where the nib of a pen would have come out instead featured a small, thin, wire-like of flattened metal that had the appearance of a diminutive blade. With an experienced flick of the wrist, Fawful lengthened the piece of metal and placed it into the small indentation in the stone wall hinging the gates that looked like an unidentifable hole. After a few minutes of poking through the hole, the little Bean finally found what he was looking for: a small slot cleverly concealed in the hole where the lockpick would fit. Sliding it smoothly, Fawful wiggled his lockpick a few times before a small audible click was heard, and the gates squeaked opened slightly. A feeling of pride filled the villain, and he prepared to walk in. Before he had even moved a single inch, however, a voice from behind forced him to stop."Halt! Who goes there, stranger?", the person asked with a sense of authority. Fawful cursed, then slowly turned around and cursed inwardly as he realized the voice belonged to none other than to his most hated foe, Prince Peasly. The young monarch frowned, then placed a hand over his sword."Answer, stranger. Who are you, and why were you trying to enter my home without invitation?", he asked. Fawful could only stare at him in anger and slight apprehension. What was he going to do?

**Yeah yeah, I know. It's a very cliche cliffhanger, but it was the only thing I could think of that would make this chapter sound original. So phew! Fawfie's being cornered by Prince P, and he ( I mean the prince) has no idea he's talking to Fawfie! This is going to be good! Not. I don't know, what can I say? If you want to know what happens in the next chapter, then review!...or just paitently wait for me to upload chapter five. Either way, you'll have to review. Please? It doesn't take forever to click that button down there. Go ahead, click it! You won't regret it! And next chapter's going to be flashback of someone who's very important in the story...She's not someone you'll be seeing for a long time, and she's definitly no one you know...So review if you wanna know who I'm talking about! Please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N****: Okay, as I promised, this chapter is entirely a flashback. It is not the memory of any character in this story so far, so don't confuse Pinta with the person here. But I can assure you these 'flashback' chapters will play a crucial role to this story. Still, I hope you will enjoy this chapter, seeing as I racked my brains for it, although truth be told, it took me little time to write it (a personal record! **w**). So sit back and read!**

~~Chapter Five~~

_Flashback_

_A young female Bean, roughly around her tween years, looked around nervously, her hands clutching a ruby-red brooch that matched her eyes and glinted in the sunlight; her limp raven-black hair hung loosely around her round, babyish face. Seeing no one around, she slumped on the floor, the dirty, yellow rags she called a dress joining whatever dirt and debris laid there. It was at this moment that the girl began to cry, her sobs echoing through the empty and deserted village."...M-Mama...W-Where are you?", she managed to say in between sobs. But no one heard her or responded; she had not expected a response from a village that was dead anyways. She continued to cry until she was finally spent and worn out, and the sobs that left her body only came out as dry heaves. After wiping away her messy face, the girl stood up and gripped the brooch even tighter. Even if she no longer had no one, she at least had this brooch, which was the only thing that was left of her family. Feeling the cool, faceted surface of the ruby, the female Bean began to walk around, her eyes taking in all of the aftermath of the slaughterfest. The Darklandians that had attacked her beloved home village in the Beanbean Kingdom had destroyed and razed everything, leaving nothing behind._

_ As she walked towards what used to be the village square, the girl covered her nose and held her breath as the stench of rotting blood and flesh rose to her nostrils. Everywhere there were bodies; so great was their number that the cobblestones that adorned the streets were no longer visible. Instead, pools of still blood and putrid bodies that were starting to succumb to the elements littered the entire surface, giving the whole scene a ghastly feel. She tried not to retch at the horrible sight, but she could not hold back what her stomach suddenly wished to return. A few seconds later, her stomach's contents joined the repulsive mixture of blood and decaying flesh. With a trembling hand, the girl wiped her mouth and resumed walking, trying not to focus on the rotting remains that were on display. After she left the village square, she walked towards what was once her home, a place of safety and comfort; now there was nothing left but a big pile of ashes and debris. The Beanish female walked toward the ashpile, then sobbed again as she realized that everything and everyone was well and truly gone._

_ Just then, she heard footsteps behind her, and gasped in fright. Her whole frail body trembling against the ragged yellow dress, the girl turned around to face her confronter. But instead of seeing a monster, she saw a young teenage boy that looked as dirty and as ragged as she did, though not as tired. A wave of relief and joy flooded through the girl's mind; there had been survivors after all! The boy looked at her warily, weighing her possibilties as a threat, then decided she was not one. In a cautious voice, he spoke first,"...Hello...". The Beanish girl blinked once, then responded with an equally cautious,"...Hullo..."._

_- "My name is Esteban."_

_- " My name is Vera..."_

_ Esteban studied her closely, then approached her slowly." Are you alone?", he asked. When she nodded, the boy sighed silently."...Oh. I had been hoping there were more survivors...I am not from here, but I was visiting when this happened.", he said, saying the words as calmly as if he had been talking of the weather. Vera felt like someone had slapped her across the face. How could this boy talk about the destruction of her home village like it was nothing?" Show more respect for this place...I _was_ from here, and my whole family...my whole family was...was...was...", she said, hot, angry tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to finish her sentence-but failed. Immediately, the boy's features contorted into a shameful look, his cheeks blushing slightly."I...I didn't mean to say it like that...I'm sorry, I truly am. Please forgive me.", he said in a mortified tone. The girl bit her lower lip, then wiped her eyes."I lost everyone. Mama, Sister, Soy...The're gone forever...I shouldn't have left them to them, to those horrible monster...But I was so scared.", she replied in a quivering tone, her eyes glistening as tears threatened to burst again. The boy gave her a sympathetic look and reached out for her hand."...It's alright...I'm sure that somewhere in the Overthere, your mother is watching you, along with your siblings. They would be glad you lived.", he said in a soft voice._

_ At the word 'lived', Vera burst into tears again and sank to the floor."Oh, Mama, Mama! Please forgive me! I should have taken Sister and Soy with me! Please forgive me!", she sobbed. Esteban knelt down to her level, then held her hand."Shh...Shhh...Hush. Everything will be alright, Vera. I will help you, and I will never leave your side.", he reassured her. The Beanish girl slowed her sobs for a second, then blinked."You...You will?", she asked. The boy nodded firmly."Yes...Yes, I promise, Vera. Come with me, and you will be safe forever.", he replied with conviction. Vera began to reach out for his hand, then hesitated. If she left, then she would be dishonoring her family and the entire village; however, she would die if she stayed. On the other hand, if she took Esteban's word, then she would be safe and have a chance of living. Perhaps in the future, she could even return and honor her family as they should be. Not wishing to think this over any more, Vera took the boy's hand and got up, her ruby red eyes shining brightly as she replied,"Okay...Let's go.". Esteban smiled, and both children walked away from the pile of ash that was Vera's past, and into her new future._

**Yeah, I think this chapter deserves a bit of explantion. Vera is the name of the girl, and her name is a remade version of the the french word 'vert', meaning green...as in green beans...Yeah, I can be corny. Anyways, she's a very important person in this story, but she'll only appear in flashbacks and technically won't play a big part in the plot-at least, not yet. As to Esteban...well, you'll have to wait for the future chapters to know who he is exactly and what role he also plays in the story. The next chapter will return back to Fawful and co., I promise. So, review, and please leave your thoughts (or insults; I won't care) while you're at it. And I apologize for having updated so late again...I hope you don't mind having a very sorry excuse of an author who takes forever in writing and updating her stories. SP out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N****: Wow, I just realized this is the sixth chapter so far. And that means that I'm writing even slower than I should be writing. With that said, I must now write faster and be more quick when I upload, er I mean, update. And like I said previously, this chapter shall be dedicated to Fawfie and Co. in its entirety. Now enjoy!**

~~Chapter Six~~

Fawful

The Bean looked at the prince in front of him, his blood boiling in anger as he tried to stay calm. The stupid, fink-rat of a princeling _would_ have appeared in a moment like this, he thought dryly. As the blonde-haired prince brought himself up to his full height, which was, unfortunately, much taller than Fawful, the villain looked around nervously, trying to find a route of escape. With a frown, Peasly cleared his throat."Ahem. I believe I just addressed you, good serf. Now, let me ask you again: Who are you, and why are you standing in front of the royal castle gates?", the princeling asked smoothly. Fawful gritted his teeth, and then responded. " My name is...G-Gera. I...I was having, err...I mean, was confused...a-about m-my, er, sense of d-direction.", the Bean said in a somewhat icy yet uncertain tone, not used to speaking proper English. Prince Peasly looked at him doubtfully for a minute, then shrugged."Hm. I guess you are either a foreigner, or someone who has a very poor sense of direction.", the haughty Bean prince replied. Hearing the insult made the teenage villain more furious, and he had to call upon every nerve and fiber of his being, just to keep a calm facade and nod painfully."I say to you...er, I, er, mean yes. Uh, y-yes.", he said softly, his fury barely contained.

Peasly looked at the villain again doubtfully, then walked past him and up to the gold-wrought gates, which still hung open ajar slightly. With a careful hand, the prince grabbed the open gatedoor, then swung it shut, a loud _clang!_ resonating through both Beans' ears." ...Well, Gera, now that the gate is shut, I suppose you can run along to your intended destination. Just where were you headed for anyways, simple peasant?", the princeling asked when he turned to face Fawful again. The Bean rolled his eyes, then in a barely-quivering voice, spoke again. "I...I was h-h-heading...for the market of openness-er, I mean, o-open m-m-market. Business.", he said as swiftly as he could, cursing internally about his accidental slip. Luckily, the young royal did not catch it all, since he simply nodded with his eyes closed and sighed."I see. Well, I suppose it would be a good idea and a kind deed if I escorted you to the market, but let me tell you something, Gera. Illegal acts of any kind shall not be tolerated. If word about you reaches my ears, then I will send you to the dungeon and you will be punished. Are we clear?", he said in a lazy voice, and added the last part in a warning tone. Fawful only shook his head in agreement, his blood pressure rising with every second that ticked by. Satisfied with his response, Peasly beckoned at the Bean, who had no choice but to follow him to the market.

After a couple of minutes' worth of walking, Fawful was sweating profusely, wondering numbly if he would be able to contain his anger any longer, lest his cover be blown. Fortunately, the princeling stopped abruptly, then turned to face Fawful while gesturing with his hand."Here we are. Now, run along, and do your business. And remember my warning, good fellow.", he said sternly, placing a careless hand over his sword that, while not drawn, sent a clear message to the young villain: Try anything stupid, and you'll get it good. Biting his tongue to prevent any insults from rolling off his tongue, the Bean gave a tight nod before turning away from the monarch and heading back into the crowd of people that had already begun to form. A few of the girls who were there caught sight of the prince as he passed their way, and immediately swooned, making the royal teen flash a smile in response. The whole scene made Fawful sick with hatred. "I...Have...FURY!", he growled loudly, pulling his hood tightly as he tried not to scream his emotions aloud. A few of the people who heard him only gave him a puzzled look, which Fawful ignored. After his expression of anger was over, the villain Bean's eyes darted back and forth as his breath came in shallow gasps. He should control himself better next time. Unless he wished to be caught and risk jeopardizing his revenge mission, then the young Bean would have no choice but to stay calm at all times.

Slowly edging away from the crowd, Fawful walked into a dark alley and carefully observed his surroundings. He had been lucky enough to remember where both he and the foolish princeling had walked through, so finding his way back to the castle would not be so difficult. The only problem would be trying to get in. Adjusting his twisted and broken glasses, the villain looked around the market while thinking about his dilemma, until his crazed eyes landed on a merchant-an old-looking toad from the Mushroom Kingdom, no doubt-who was selling a bunch of gear and supplies, trying to attract the locals into buying his merchendaise. A strange smile lit up Fawful's face, and he discreetly pulled out his trusty blaster while grinning madly. He had an idea.

Pinta

The secondborn to the Beanish throne sighed and sat on her chair, her small, gloved fingers twirling a lock of raven-black hair. She hated having to stay in one place simply because her mother wanted to keep her safe. She knew that the Queen Bean, her mother, only wished to protect her from any harm; her motherly love merely confirmed that. But being locked up inside the castle all day and doing nothing other than learn how to act as a dignified lady became dreary and tiring, and frankly, she longed for adventure. Whenever the Beanish princess heard about her brother's many adventures, especially the one where he had helped save the world some time ago, she felt a tiny twinge of jealousy, and she would long more than ever for freedom. With a lazy eye, Pinta watched the servants in the throne room move back and forth hurriedly, like ants working diligently. Every now and then, she would see something of remote interest happen, but it was eventually forgotten, and the boredom settled back in again. This cycle continued for an hour, until, finally tired of seeing the same thing over and over again, Pinta rose and stalked off to her room, a small sense of resentment simmering within her. There was no point in staying any longer in the throne room, anyhow.

Ignoring the other servants and maids that passed by, Pinta began muttering to herself, her eyes glinting darkly."...There's nothing for me to do in the castle. Mother's busy discussing with Lady Lima about kingdom policies, and Peasly's out in the kingdom, making sure nothing bad is happening. And what am I doing? Nothing! It's not fair at all...", she sulked. The presence in her mind stirred, and again, the female voice spoke. _What's the matter, dearie? Is the poor widdle pwincess bored?_, she asked in a taunting tone. Pinta frowned, and her anger abated slightly, only to be replaced by anxiety."I don't like you. Now go away and leave me alone. Besides, it's none of your business...", she mumbled quietly. The female voice laughed, a strange, innocent laugh that sounded twisted and creepy, and made Pinta's hairs on the back of her neck stand up. _Oh, but I can't, sweetheart. You see, you and I are linked, and in more ways than one...So even if I wished to leave you-which I don't-I couldn't be able to do anything about it. It's out of my reach. However, _**you**__**can**_ do something about it...Of course, I won't tell you. You'll have to find out yourself..._, she purred. The Beanish princess frowned, and stopped walking, looking around for passerbys before running down the hallway and back to her room, where she locked the door."What do you want from me? I don't have anything you want or need! So why am I stuck with you?", she hissed silently.

For a second, the voice did not answer. Then, the ruby brooch beagn to glow, making Pinta look down at it in horror. Slowly, a red haze began emerging from the brooch, and in her panic, the princess took it off and let it fall to the floor. Still, the haze did not stop, and it wasn't until the entire room was saturated in the red fog that the brooch ceased to glow. Suddenly, the Beanish girl felt dizzy, and she tried to walk to her bed, but only collapsed on her floor, her mind somewhat hazy. As the fog cleared, a figure began to emerge, walking straight toward Pinta. With her head spinning, the princess of the Beanbean Kingdom tried to look up and see the mysterious person, but barely managed to keep her eyes open. Finally, the figure emerged, making Pinta gasp in shock. A strange woman, who looked very faded, almost transparent, stood in front of her, wearing a royal garment-a dress-in a deep, vibrant, green hue. Her hair was a stunning midnight black that hung past her back and nearly reached the hem of her dress. She looked rather slim and tall, and her crimson-red eyes glared piercingly at Pinta, who realized with another small gasp that the woman looked exactly like her, except much older. The lady began examining her clothes with slight disgust, then looked back at the princess disappointedly." _Pathetic. And here I thought you had a greater source of energy and power..._", she spat, making the princess flinch in response." W-Who are you?", she asked in a trembling voice. The woman looked at the sleeve of her dress slowly, then returned her gaze back to Pinta."_ Someone of great importance, unlike yourself. But enough about me...Let's talk about you. First off, how did you come upon that brooch?_", the lady asked sweetly, a tone of malice hidden within her voice. Pinta only blinked dumbly, and shrugged, her small body shaking slightly in fear." M-Mother gave it to me...'Tis all I know...W-Why?", she replied warily. The woman chuckled cruelly."_Oh, let's just say I'll be needing it anytime soon...Princess._", she cackled, and with her forefinger, touched the Beanish princess' forehead. Pinta blinked once, then slumped to the floor as she fell uncounscious.

**Whoa...This chapter was kinda long, in my opinion. Pinta's got a strange 'working' relationship with the mysterious woman whom I have not yet identified, for the story's sake, and Fawful's about to sneak into the Beanbean Castle. And for those wondering why I named Fawful 'Gera', let me explain. In MarioWiki (a very useful source, btw), his profile mentions that his name in japanese is 'Gerakobittsu', deriving from the japanese sound effect for derisive laughter (**_**gera gera**_**). I was going to use that, but I thought it was too long, and just shortened it to 'Gera'. And if you have seen the name used in another fic before, *COUGHchaostriologyCOUGH* I can assure you, it is a pure coincidence. I started on this fic way before I read said work of fiction (type-wise, anyways). So, Dark Marx Soul if you read this, please accept my apology...Okay, uh, remember to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N****: Yay, another chapter up! I think I should devote myself entirely to this story (Not. I still have my other fic, ****The Ups and Downs of a Sparkling**** to contend with)! Anyways, it doesn't matter. This chappie's gonna focus on Fawfie's entrance, and Pinta's 'recovery'. Expect little Peasly dialogue...But a lot of Pinta and Fawfie POVs. Plus, I think that next chapter will be a great treat (I hope...0_0;)! Now onward with the story!**

~~Chapter Seven~~

Pinta

The light was very blinding, the princess thought woozily. Everywhere she looked, a bright light from an unidentified source shone through the clear glass walls that surrounded her; the well-polished glass floor reflected the light and her reflection strongly. Taking one echoing step toward one of the walls, Pinta tried to squint and see beyond the glass walls, in hopes of finding something familiar. Disappointment settled heavily in the Beanish girl's heart when she realized she could see nothing._" I guess you've realized it's no use..."_, a small, feminine voice said mournfully, making the princess freeze in place. Trying to stay calm, Pinta took a deep breath and clutched her ruby-red brooch." W-Who are you?", she asked shakily. The voice sighed._" Turn around, and you'll find out."_, the feminine voice said. Swallowing slowly, Pinta turned around, her knees nearly knocking each other in apprehension, then gasped. A small girl dressed in pure white looked at her quietly, her lips twisted into a sad smile. Her hair was a platinum blonde, almost white, that curled tightly and hung around her pale-white, round, cherubic face and just past her shoulders. Though small and quite young, the girl looked like she had seen more than her age suggested, yet she maintained a calm composure. Only her eyes, which were a striking crimson, showed a small hint of pain that her body language otherwise betrayed.

With an outstretched hand, the girl motioned around the glass room and curtsied lightly._" I apologize for my imprudence and ignorance, Princess. I hope you are not truly upset at one of your loyal subjects."_, the girl said politely. Pinta only blinked, and touched her brooch lightly." I...I am sorry myself. I don't remember anything, and I want to know what happened...Do you, by any chance, know where we are?", she asked. The girl nodded 'yes', her platinum curls bouncing with every shake._" I do, your Highness. We are in your consciousness...In truth, you are not here in body, as you may think. But I guess that mayhap this make no sense to you..."_, she replied. Pinta gaped at the girl in shock, then shook her head, her raven-black hair moving in sync."No...No, it doesn't. But then again, there are many things I still don't understand...However, I must ask you, now that my curiosity is piqued...How did you get here?", she responded. The girl fidgeted slightly, then looked down, a small sigh escaping her lips._" I guess I cannot hide my intentions forever. You see, I am here, because...because I sensed _**her**_. My sister..."_, she said quietly. The princess frowned, then crossed her arms."But I don't understand! I do not know who your sister is. How could I-", she tried to reply, but was cut off by the girl, who shook her head._" You do not understand...But do not fret. All will be explained with time."_, she said softly with a dip of the head. Abruptly, she cocked her head, as if listening to something, then bowed her head again._" You are being called back. It is time you return. Again, I apologize for my imprudence, and may the fates ever watch over you...And another thing. If you see my sister...tell her it's not too late. Goodbye, Princess."_, the girl added, and began to fade away, along with the room. Pinta tried to yell out, but before she knew it, the princess was enveloped in darkness once again.

Fawful

Fawful couldn't help but grin proudly to himself, his eyes glowing brightly. He had been able to use his once-reliable ruse-that of a trader-and was able to convince those in the marketplace he was a shopkeeper of sorts. As it turned out, the badges he once sold were still handy, and though not the most wanted thing on the market, still worked with his plan. That, and the fact that raiding the old Toad's merchandise while he was gone had also helped. Counting the Beanbean coins that he had already earned, the villain returned his gaze back to the badges he still had left."Hm...But the selling of the badges shall not have working, unless Fawful does whating he is intending to do...", he mused quietly. After lounging lazily around for a few seconds, the Bean decided there were going to be no more customers, so with the push of a button hidden underneath the makeshift stand, the table began to fold in on itself, until it was nothing more than a small cube with colorful sections decorating its appearance; in other words, it was the perfect hiding place.

Making sure to place it within a pocket in his cloak, Fawful put away the small cube-like device. Then, he walked away slowly, in hopes of not attracting attention. As soon as he was gone, the Bean sighed in relief. Thank Jaydes no one had noticed him leave. If anyone else had stopped him the way Peasley had done, Fawful would have gone mad in rage, and this time, he would have not doubted in using his ray gun. With another small smile gracing his face, the young Bean walked-or rather, scurried—to the castle, his heart beating wildly as he approached the everlasting glow of the golden gates that formed the main entrance to the Beanbean Castle. As he stopped to search for his nifty lockpick, Fawful couldn't help but feel a small sense of awe. The castle, which was located in the very heart of the Beanbean Castle Town, had been elegantly built, with a certain architectural form that made it pleasing to the eye and almighty, a force to be reckoned with. It was obvious that whoever had ordered the castle's construction had been no stranger to power and leadership.

Finally locating his lockpick, the teen Bean boy clicked it open, and used again it to open the gates. With a screechy creak, the gates opened, and Fawful slipped in, his breathing accelerated in excitement. Quickly, he looked around, making sure that no guards were around. Satisfied there were none, the Bean scurried toward the main entrance of the castle, and hid behind a bush. At that precise moment, Peasley walked by, his attention centered on his mother, Queen Bean. The imperial monarch of the Beanbean Kingdom nodded her head, obviously agreeing with what the young prince had told her. Abruptly, both monarchs stopped in front of Fawful's hiding position and continued their conversation, somthing that the young villian resented immediately but shrugged off. "...Of course, Peasley. But you must realize that although you care for Pinta, your roles as future king and leader come first. And as of late, I have been recieving reports that you are slipping behind in your appointed duties. What say you of this, Peasley?" the queen said sternly, placing her hands on her voluptious hips. The blonde prince shrugged and waved his hand carelessly. "Mother, I cannot stay focused on the kingdom if Pinta is not well. You and I both know that she has always been sickly, weak, and prone to danger. My life without her is not worth living, Mother dearest." he replied, his eyes blazing brightly.

Intruiged, Fawful leaned closer to the talking duo, his ears honing on the gist of the conversation. Prince Peasley cared for a girl? As strange-and unlikely-that sounded (the princeling seemed incapable of caring for anyone, or rather, anything other than his hair and smile), Fawful had to admit it was an interesting piece of information. That knowledge could prove to be useful, although not necessarily according to his plans. The queen was not convinced, and she shook her head. "My son, I am grateful you care for your sister like that, but please understand. She shall soon be sent to undergo her own training as duchess or mayhap your advisor for the near future. This shall mean that as siblings, you shall no longer be together..." the older woman insisted, her hands clenching her sides tightly. But the young Bean did not hear the last part; he was too busy absorbing the sudden bombshell the reigning monarch of the Beanbean Kingdom had dropped, and rather conveniantly too. So the Queen Bean had indeed, brought another heir into the world, the crazed Bean villain thought happily. And a girl too; it was truly an added bonus. Fawful grinned, and he rubbed his hands together gleefully. He had finally hit the jackpot.

**Omigosh...This chapter took a really long time to pin down. I swear, I thought I would get stuck here and all, especially since I just emerged from my writer's block in regards to my other story, The Ups and Downs of a Sparkling, and had resumed production on it. (*bows head apologetically* Sorry for those who read said fic..Don't kill me for being a bad author! *flees*) Well, it wasn't as eventful as I hoped, but I guess it was still kinda good...Um, R and R? Please? Tell me how much of a pathetic author I am, I really won't care...But leave a review, for my sake! I do kinda kill myself writing and updating, so at least a one-word comment would be appreciated. And yes, it can be a flame...in case you're wondering. Alright, I am outta here!**

**P.S.- If anyone can figure out what Fawfie's stand actually turned into, I'll give you a small gift! In the form of a ficlet or something...o.O;; I'll figure it out...**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**** Waughhh! I can't keep track of my own stories! Curse me and my overproductive mind...Anyways, I tried to make this chapter as good as possible, and I trust me, that was plenty hard to do. Since I now have at least 5+ stories to add and update, my brain has been going on overload. But hey, thanks to those who review! You know who you are, and that's all that matters. So this chappie's gonna be like a treat, just as I promised. Finally, after all my hard work, Fawfie and Pinta are gonna meet! Okay, I've said too much, so on to the story!**

~~Chapter Six~~

Pinta

Pinta's eyes fluttered weakly, and she stirred, her petite hands touching soft, downy, sheets in the process. Slowly, she looked around and moaned softly; her head was throbbing in pain and was not letting her gather her thoughts properly. For a minute, she was confused, then she remembered: She had fallen unconscious because the strange woman who had appeared from her brooch. At the thought of the piece of jewelery, Pinta shuddered, her eyes flickering in fright. The whole thing was still fresh in her mind, haunting her like a stubborn presence. _What's the matter, dearie?...Is the poor widdle pwincess bored?...You see, you and I are linked, and in more ways than one..._, the words kept replaying through her head. A small whimper escaped the young princess' lips, and she curled up into a little ball. She didn't feel safe or fine; she wanted her mother or Peasley right beside her, holding her hand and comforting her with a gentle voice.

A nurse suddenly entered the room, and clasped her hands together in delight as she noticed the now-awake princess. "Oh, M'Lady! You are awake! I shall go tell the young lord and Her Majesty...Do you need anything? Painkillers, food, drink?" she asked, her eyes twinkling in relief. Pinta shook her head no, but another wave of pain caused her to moan once more. "...Ergh...I...I suppose s-some painkillers will do..." she mumbled quietly, clasping her head tightly between her hands. The blonde nurse Bean curtsied politely, and just as quickly as she had appeared, scurried away. Pinta sighed once more and bit her lower lip. She was absolutely positive that the nerve-wracking pain assulting her head was because of _her_...that _woman_. A shiver ran down her spine, and the Beanish princess curled up into an even tighter ball. She would never forget the sight of those crimson eyes, piercing and cold, glittering as the stared into her very soul.

The doors opened again, and Pinta's head snapped up, only to relax once she realized it was only the nurse from earlier, who was carrying a silver tray in her hands; a small glass of Chuckola Cola and two painkillers, along with a small bowl of jello. The nurse smiled sweetly and placed the tray in front of the princess. "Here you go, M'Lady. I also brought you a bit of sustenance. Your mother and brother shall be here in a while, alright?" she quipped. The dark-haired Beanish girl slowly popped the pills into her mouth and gulped down the fizzy drink; almost immediately, she felt the pain receding until it was nearly non-existent. A small smile graced her lips and she placed the empty cup back on the silver tray. "Thank you..." she murmured in reply. The nurse bowed once again, and then exited the room once more, leaving the princess all alone. Pinta's eyelids began to droop, and she yawned. Reluctantly, the princess leaned back on the pillow, and closed her eyes. "...Just...Just a little snooze..." she mumbled softly, and dozed off.

~FF~FF~

Fawful

The Beanish boy huddled tightly against the stone wall, his broken glasses nearly falling off due to the shakes and quivers of excitement coursing through the his body. He still couldn't believe it; a secondborn to the Beanish throne! Already he could see his ultimate revenge being carried out, the pathetic princeling he despised so much on his knees, begging for mercy as he, the great Lord Fawful, prepared to strike him down in the same way he had destroyed his mistress Cackletta. "...Stupid fink-rats..." he mumbled to himself happily. Unfortunately for the villain, he had been a tad too loud; the Queen Bean stopped talking and raised a hand to silence her son. "Silence, Peasley...I think I heard something." she commanded. The blonde Bean raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Mother, I didn't hear anything. 'Tis probably some figment of your imagination..." he replied. But the queen was not easily persuaded. She shook her head and swept her hand dramatically. "No, son of mine...I may be getting old, but my ears are still sharp. Something made a noise, and I will find out what." she insisted, her eyes scanning the area.

Fawful silently held his breath as his heart began to pound within his scrawny chest, slight apprehension racing through his mind. He couldn't be discovered now, not after all he had been through. It would be cruel, not to mention, ironic, if at the moment he learned his plan was viable that he be captured and possibly executed, thus preventing him from revenge. Struggling to hold in the growl that threatened to erupt from within, the crazy Bean held his breath and slowly began to count to twenty in Beanish; every number he counted seemed to last an eternity. Finally, he heard the Queen Bean grunt and her footsteps fade away from the bush he was hiding in. "Hmm...I could have sworn I heard something, dear son. Whatever it was, it must have fled. Come now, Peasley. We should visit Pinta...she fell unconsciuos earlier, and I promised her nurse we would check in on her..." she finally said. "Of course, Mother.", was the hasty reply.

Soon, both royals were out of sight, prompting Fawful to release his breath in a great _whoosh_. Cautiously, he poked his head out from the bush and looked around, quickly adjusting his broken glasses. It seemed both monarchs had retreated to the safety of the Beanbean Castle, presumably to visit this 'Pinta' person. A crazed grin suddenly crossed the Bean boy's face, and he rubbed his hands gleefully. Maybe visiting this princess himself would be such a bad idea. He did have to know what he was up against anyways, unless he wished a repeat of last time's incidents. With his mind made up, Fawful looked towards the castle's seemingly impregnable walls. His grin slowly turned into a puzzled frown and he looked at it, his mechanically genius mind working at top speed in order to solve the sudden conondrum in front of him. His gaze lazily flickered to an open window a few feet above him, and the frown disappeared only to be replaced with another smile. Of course! The answer was as clear as crystal: He would sneak in through the window with as much silence and stealth he could muster.

Fumbling through his oversized cloak, the young Bean began to search ardently until at last, his fingers closed in on the much-needed object. A another gun appeared from the folds of cloth, similar in appearance to his ray gun, although this gun in particular had a three-pronged hook glinting from its end. After a few more seconds of fiddling, the Bean teen aimed the weapon towards the window and fired. A small, resounding _crack!_ pierced the air, followed by a dull _clang!_ as the hook attached itself to the ledge. He pulled on the rope a few times, then once he was certain it was secure, he began to climb his way up. After a bit of grunting and pulling, Fawful finally reached the window's ledge and with one final heave, pulled himself over—only to land on the floor with a soft "Oomph!". Biting back the string of curses that threatened to erupt, the villain quickly looked around, his eyes darting back and forth nervously. Thankfully, no one was around the hallway, and wishing to keep it that way, the Bean scurried to hide behind a column. Despite the tension, however, Fawful let loose a small, twisted giggle. Meeting the princess was going to be _very_ interesting.

**Yessings! I totally got this chapter finished! Finally!*gives self a pat on the back* I swear, I thought I would NEVER finish this frickin' chapter. But I guess all the hardwork paid off after all. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to put in the 'Fawfie meeting Pinta' scene, seeing how the chapter almost spiraled out of control; I apologize to those who were expecting it. So much for me trying to treat you guys...I'll try to make up for it in the next chapter, I promise. DX Anyways, R and R! Your comments really keep me going! 'Till next time! *vanish***

**P.S.- I'm going explain something that may have confused some of you. I mentioned that Fawfie counted in Beanish, but I don't think that's official or canon. It's purely my invention, so don't get your tighty-whities in a bunch!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**** Okay, so I guess last chapter wasn't entirely a bust, like I thought it was. Still, I do feel sorry for not having reached the promised 'Pinta meets Fawfie' scene. I know there are some of you who were probably disappointed (I know I was), but this time, I will keep my promise (or not. Dammit, this chapter just grows too much DX). I guess I shouldn't tarry any longer. On to the story!**

**PS: OMG! This is the first time I've implemented another person's POV! *gasp* Teh world is gonna end! Just kidding. Starting from now, though, I will start implementiong different POVs from different characters like a certain peachy princess, two mustachioed plumbing bros, and a certain grouchy Koopa king, just to name a few. So don't panic when you see diff. POVs, and please review! Those reviews really keep me going, I swear. Special thanks to those who have actually reviewed; you guys rock XD!**

Peasley

The young princeling stared at his feet as he walked to his sister's room alongside his mother, his hands nervously hitting the sides of either hip. Word of Pinta's little incident had traveled around the castle like wildfire, and upon hearing about his little sister's predicament, it had taken every ounce of willpower that resided in the prince to not run like a maniac and check up on her current state. Still, he could not rest or calm his frantic mind, something not lost on the imperial monarch of the kingdom. The Queen Bean placed a hand on Peasley's shoulder, causing him to jump in shock. "Peasley, worrying too much about Pinta is not going to help her recover. She'll be fine, my son." she coaxed gently, trying to comfort the frazzled prince's nerves. The young Bean prince sighed. "Mother, I cannot help it. Pinta has always been one of my main worries...I only hope the prophecy has nothing to do with this..."he replied.

The hand on the prince's shoulder stiffened and tightened its grip so quickly that if Peasley were not accustomed to the unexpected, he would have yelped out in pain and surprise. "Do not mention that ever again! It is a false prophecy, a child's tale. Nothing more..." the queen rasped, her mouth set into a tight thin line. Peasley frowned. "But Mother, the prophecy-"

"-Is not true. That demented ancestor of ours did not know what she was talking about, nor what she was saying. 'Tis the reason why she was dethroned and erased from the family tree, her a name a curse to those who still have the audacity to remember it."

"But...Is she not the reason why no king or queen has ever had more than one child in the past?"

With a look of anger and sadness, the Queen Bean turned to face her eldest son and sighed. "...Please, Peasley. Do not bring this up again, and least of all in your sister's presence. Promise me, my son. I do not want radical ideas and theories floating around in her young, innocent mind." she replied, rubbing her temples as if she were experiencing a headache. The princeling frowned and dipped his head slightly. "...Alright, dear Mother. If you think 'tis better that way, so be it." he finally said, kneeling down on one knee in an act of submission. He loved his mother very dearly, and was willing to do as she asked; after all, he owed her his life. Slowly, the blonde Bean got back up and dusted his knees, then resumed walking to his destination. However, when he looked back, his mother had walked away in the opposite direction, a look of concern still etched on her face. Hesitant and confused, Peasley called out to the reigning monarch. "Uh, Mother...Pinta's room is that way. Are you not coming?" he asked. The queen sighed and shook her head, a sad smile gracing her lips. "I am afraid not, son. I have other matters to attend to; Lady Lima has resquested my presence in a very important meeting and I cannot shirk from my duties. But do tell Pinta that I wished I had gone to see her." she said.

The prince gave another graceful dip of the head and tried to smile. "Alright, Mother. Do say hi to Lady Lima for me, will you then?" he replied. After one last final wave, the Queen Bean disappeared, leaving Peasley to sigh in frustration. It was obvious his mother had been lying. True, her methods were always subtle, but the blonde prince had learned long ago how to tell when the Beanbean monarch spoke the truth. Speaking about the prophecy had upset her greatly; it was obvious in the way she looked and carried herself. And no wonder she had gotten so upset. Just thinking about the prophecy made Peasely cringe inwardly. The prophecy of the Chaos Jewel, which was known by all the inhabitants of the Beanbean Kingdom, had been created by a long-ago nameless queen who had gone mad for power and destruction. She had been well-versed in the dark arts and magic, and wishing to make up for supposed greivances, had cursed and cast a spell on a beautiful jewel that had been her crowning glory and her ultimate pride. Unfortunately for her, her husband, the king, caught her in the act and had managed to take the jewel and hide it. She had gone even more insane, and when she was dethroned and removed from the royal family tree, she cursed the family, forbidding them to have more than one child. If a second child was born, it would spell destruction and death for the family and the kingdom.

Surprisingly, despite having been marked as 'criminally insane', her prophetic curse seemed to have had a certain influence on the royal family, since from then on out, the imperial monarchs were careful to have only one child, prefferably a male that could carry on the family name. At least, it had been so, until recently. Peasley could still remember the shock that the entire Beanbean Castle court had experienced when the Queen Bean had announced she was pregnant once again. Of course, up until now, everything had gone smoothly, and the only wrong Pinta had experienced was in the form of sickliness. The blonde princeling shook his head and snorted. He couldn't think about such depressing things anymore, especially since he had arrived at the raven-haired princess' room. Ignoring formal protocol and manners, the blonde Bean opened the door and stepped inside, unaware that a pair of eyes watched him from afar.

Fawful

Fawful quickly ran and hid against a nearby stone pillar, his heart pounding a mile a minute. That had been too close of a call, he thought; another step forward and he would have come face-to-face with his hated archnemesis. Silently berating himself for being so careless, the crazed Bean pressed his frail body against the cold stone pillar he was hiding against and sighed. "Fururururu...How can the great Fawful be avoiding the prince of stupidness to see this princess who shall be doing the fullfilling of the prophecy?" he mused silently. He doubted the castle guards had gotten lax with their security, despite the common knowledge of Fawful's 'demise'. But then again, he had gotten in quite easily, so perhaps not everyone was alert as they used to be. Daring to pop his head out again, the teen Bean surveyed the now-empty hallways, wieghing the pros and cons of each possible solution that he came up with.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up in glee as his gaze landed on a chute-like opening that was fixed beside the main door. Using the knowledge-and the castle blueprint schematics-his cranky witch mentor had passed on to him before she had died, Fawful guessed it was a serving chute where the servants would place trays of food and deliver them through a pulley system to the subject's room. Perhaps if he were able to sneak into it, he would be able to watch the princeling, who was no doubt in the princess' room. Eager to test his theory, the villian gripped his hookshot gun and peeked out from his hidden corner again. After making sure no one was around, he shot the gun at the opening, wincing when it resounded with a somewhat loud _crack!_ followed by a dull _thud!_ as it hit against an unseen cover. Sweat slid down his face and he quickly reloaded the gun before pressing himself back into the cool surface of the wall. He had to invent a better gun next time he got back to the cave, one that wouldn't make noise. After an excruciating second had passed, Fawful dared to peek out from his hiding place. No one had heard the little noise, but the teen Bean knew if he tarried any longer, he would be caught.

Gritting his teeth, the Bean took his chance and ran across the hallway before diving into the chute opening. He immediately landed on a platform where dishes clattered noisily while Fawful cursed in Beanish. Doing some quick thinking, the teen boy grabbed the rope and began to climb upwards. He held his breath and clung to the ropes, like his life depended on it; From below, the chute opened and in peeked Peasely. The blonde prince frowned, then looked down at the platform, before shrugging and closing the chute's opening once more. As soon as the prince was out of earshot, Fawful gave an audible sigh of relief, the sweat still trickling down his face and fogging his glasses. He had to be more careful next time. Unless he wished to end up hanging from the gallows or even worse, beheaded, then he would have to exercise extreme caution when sneaking around to gather information in regards to dominating all. Despite his current predicament though, Fawful managed a small grin. He was well on his way to avenging his beloved mistress' death.

**ARGHHH! I totally could not get to that promised scene! Why must I be so descriptive with my scenes and overall background? Well, I guess I can get to it next time. Anyways, heads up: Next chapter is another flashback chappie! Yep, Esteban and Vera are up again! This time, however, I'm going to drag out the chapter and their working relationship (I hope XS). I'm guessing some of you are still wondering why I placed them in my story, but the truth is that they're both crucial to the plot. So is the little girl who appeared in Pinta's counsciousness. Now, since I do love teasing ya'll, I'm going to give you all a little spoiler, nothing too big: Vera is related to Pinta in more than one way. That's all I'm gonna say, and I think I said too much. Whelp, now that you've gotten a liddle spoiler, go click that blue 'Review' button! Click it, I say!**


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